Spline



Sept. 6, 1961 R. J. GRIFFIN 3,001,616

SPLINE Filed May 25, 1959 3 ROBERT J. GRIFFIN IN VEN TOR.

FIG-5 33 BY /Ii United States Patent 3,001,616 SPLINE Robert J. Gritfin, Seattle, Wash., assignor to Noise Control of Seattle, Inc., Seattle, Wash, a corporation of Washington 4 Filed May 25, 1959, Ser. No. 815,731 3 Claims. (Cl. 189-88) This invention relates to a spline and, more particularly, to an inverted T-shaped spline assembly to extend between supporting ledges at the ends of the abutted tile edges.

My invention is useful in connection with rigid, suspended ceilings of incombustible tiles which may be perforated, or otherwise acoustically treated, and in which ceiling there is a concealed metal suspension system which supports the tiles and seals the joints between tiles to prevent breathing. In such a suspended ceiling observers from beneath primarily only see the faces and mitred edges of the ceiling tiles because it has been arranged that the structural supporting elements are entirely concealed behind the visible face and within the bodies of the individual tiles. Ordinarily the individual tiles are approximately 12" x 12" or 12" x 24" but they may vary in thickness between about A: of an inch and one inch.

It is frequently desirable with suspended ceilings to permit access to above the ceiling after the installation has been completed. To accomplish this, on or more of the individual tiles forming the ceiling must be easily removable by workmen but without marring or defacing the tile that has been removed or those surrounding it.

It is therefore an important objective of this invention to provide a spline which is so adapted and arranged that the removal of a tile from a ceiling assembly may be easily accomplished without injury to the tile, without requiring special tools, and with low cost apparatus involving inexpensive manufacture.

Another objective of the invention has been to provide a spline assembly which may be reassembled although concealed when it is desirable to return the removed tile to its normal position in the suspended ceiling. These and other objects of the invention will be more apparent during the course of the following description.

I have shown a preferred and an alternative form of the invention in the drawing accompanying this specification, and comprising a portion of the disclosure of this application.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary perspective view from below illustrating the environment in which my spline is employed and illustrating the spline assembly in this assembled condition;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the disassembled basic elements of my spline assembly, with portions broken away for convenience of illustration;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view through a portion of a suspended ceiling formed of acoustic tile and showing my spline assembly in position.

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view taken in the plane 4-4 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the spline assembly shown in FIGURE 4; and

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of an alternative form of one of the L-shaped bars employed in my spline assembly.

Referring to FIGURE 1, the suspension system comprises a O-shaped channel 10 that is normally hung from overhead structure in numbers traversing a room. In spaced-apart relation H-bars 12, 12 are secured to such beams 10 by means of clips 14 in conventional manner.

. 3,001,616 Patented Sept. 26, 1961 Bars 12 are arranged so that the web of each is upright thus insuring the provision of horizontally disposed flanges at each side of the bottom of the Web of each bar 12. Conventional tiles 16, having kerfs on all edges, are slipped in place between opposed flanges of a pair of H-bars 12 as shown in the drawing. Inverted T- shaped splines not shown of conventional nature are disposed between the abutting edges of conventional tiles 16 and 16.

A removable or access tile 18 in substantially all respects identical with a tile 16 is provided. Tile 18 varies from tile 16 in that the edge kerf on opposite edges has been omitted and the side edges of tile 18 have rabbet grooves 20 for purposes later to be described.

My inverted T-shaped spline assembly is primarily shown in FIGURE 2. The assembly comprises a first elongated L-shaped bar 22 and a second shorter L-shaped bar 24. The length of bar 22 is substantially equivalent to the distance between the webs of H-channels 12, 12 so the foot flange 23 of bar 22 at each end may rest on a ledge of an H-bar 12, as shown in FIGURE 1. The shorter bar 24 has a foot flange 25. The length of bar 24 is less than the distance between the supporting ledges of bar 12, 12 so that the same may be disposed upward or removed downward between bars 12, 12 while normal to the same as shown in FIGURE 1. When bars 22 and 24 are arranged with their upstanding legs juxtaposed and the foot elements 23 and 25 directed oppositely an inverted T-shaped spline is defined. This can be comprehended from FIGURE 2 and can be clearly seen in FIGURES 4 and 5.

On the upper edge of the upstanding leg of bar 22 is a lateral flange 26 which extends from bar 22 opposite in direction to foot flange 23. Flange 26 is provided with an elongated slot 28 near one end of thebarc 7 When bars 22 and 24 are brought into juxtaposition as described, flange 26 is adjacent and above the upstanding leg of bar 24. Bar 24 carries secured thereto an upstanding tongue member 30 which has a born 32 on one side. The tongue 30' may be inserted from beneath through slot 28 and when the bar is moved, as to the right in FIGURE 2, the horn 32 will overlie and engage a portion of flange 26 at the end of slot 28. Tab 34 secured to bar 24 extends therebelow a distance about equal to the thickness of the tile 18 beneath its edge kerf 19.

Bearing in mind that the length of bar 24 is shorter than the length of bar 22, when tongue 36 is inserted into slot 28 and horn 32 overlies and rests upon that portion of the flange adjacent the right end of slot 28 (in FIG- URE 2) the ends of bars 22 and 24 will be substantially co-terminal in the manner shown in FIGURE 3. In this arrangement the foot of flanges 23 and 25 will rest upon a lateral flange of the right hand H-bar 12 and thus support that end of the assembly as well as a tile 18 having its kerf 19 receiving flange 25.

The free end of bar 24 is, of course, supported by horn 32 on tongue 30 resting upon a portion of flange 26. That end of bar 22 opposite the co-terminal ends of the assembly by itself rests on a lateral flange of an opposed H-bar 12, all as shown in FIGURE 3.

In FIGURE 6 I show a modified form of the first elongated L-shaped bar. In this instance bar 42 has foot 43 and flange 46 joined to the upstanding leg of bar 42 and forms a notch 48, equivalent in many respects to the slot 28 previously described. A tongue 30 is, of course, passed through slot 48 and its horn rests upon flange 46.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. An inverted T-shaped spline assembly for disposition between edge-abutting tiles and to extend between "supporting ledges at the ends of the abutted tile edges, 'comprising:

upstanding tongue member, non-pivotally secured on said second bar and insertable-insaid slot when said secnd bar is moved vertically upward between the supportingledges, said tongue including a horn on one'side overlying a portion of said flangeat an end of said slot when the ends of said L-shaped bars toward which said-horn is'di'rected are disposed substantially co-terminal in said assembly and their foot elements are resting" upon a supportingledge.

juxtaposed and the foot elements directed oppositely; thus' defining the inverted T-shape; the leg of said first bar having flange means forming a longitudinal notch on the side of said bar adjacent and above the upstanding 'leg'of said second bar and accessible from'below;

' auups'tanding tongue member non-pivotally secured on said second bar-andinsertable insaid notch when said second bar is moved-vertically between the supporting ledges, said tongue including a horn on one side, over- -;lying a portion'of said flange means at 'the-"gullet of said :notch when'the ends of said l -sl1apedtbarsttoward which --said 'horn is directed are disposed substantially: co-terminal in said assembly and resting upon a supporting :ledge.

3. An inverted T-shaped-spline assemblyfordisposi- .tion between edge-abuttingtiles' and"toextend between 2. An inverted T'-shaped spline assembly for disposition between edge-abutting tiles and tov extend. between supporting ledges at the ends of-theabutted tile edges, comprising:

"a firstelongated L shaped"bar of a'length' to rest at its 'ends on said supporting ledges; a second shorter L-shaped bar of a distance between said supporting'ledges;

length'lessth'an the said L-shaped bars beingarr'anged' together with'their upstanding legs supporting ledges at the ends-of 'the abutted tile edges, comprising:

' a first elongated L-shaped bar; asecond shorter L-shaped bar;

said L-shaped bars being arranged togetherwith their upstanding legs juxtaposed and the-foot elements directed oppositely,'thus defining the inverted'T-shape; the leg of said-firstbar having means forming a longitudinal-notch accessible from below on the side of said bar opposite the foot element thereof; an'upstanding hooked tongue, nonpivota]ly secured on said second bar and vertically enigageable in said notch, the hook onsaid tongue overlying the -gullet of said notchwhen the 'endsof' said L- shaped bars toward which the tongue hook isdirected are disposed substantially co-terminal in said assembly and resting upon a supporting ledge.

' References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED: STATES PATENTS 2,854,706 Merlino Oct. 7, 1958 

